


To Hell and Back

by Pellaaearien



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Abduction, BAMF Chloe Decker, Chloe Decker knows, Chloe Decker to the Rescue, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Gen, Hell, Hellhounds, Hurt/Comfort, Making Sense of Season 3, Post-Season/Series 03, Season 3 as a Hell Loop, Supernatural Elements, TDN's 2018 Hell-oween Exchange, Witchcraft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2019-08-11 08:41:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16472306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pellaaearien/pseuds/Pellaaearien
Summary: A fun day out at a haunted house turns to true horror when Lucifer mysteriously vanishes. To find him, Chloe must attempt a dangerous journey to the unknown - and that's just the beginning. She soon discovers that their combined fates rest in the hands of a Devil who doesn't want to be saved.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheWhiteWolf2486](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWhiteWolf2486/gifts).



> Written as part of The Deckerstar Network's 2018 "Hell-oween" Exchange. My prompts were Lux/the penthouse, silver, and witches. I've had an idea of Chloe rescuing Lucifer from Hell that I've wanted to work with for a while, and one day the prompts just clicked. This is the result. I wanted to give Chloe a voice and really work through what actually happened in season 3. Will be mildly AU in spots. Hope you enjoy!

“You have got to be kidding me.” Lucifer craned his neck to look up at the schlocky sign proclaiming TERROR ADVENTURE in large, dripping letters, additionally promising _Chills!_ and _Thrills!_

Chloe stopped next to him and nudged his arm. “Come on, it’s just for fun,” she said. “Trixie’s old enough now and she wanted to go. Or are you _scared_?” She grinned.

“Of course not,” Lucifer retorted. “I am the monster other monsters fear.” His voice was light enough, but serious beneath. Chloe reached for his hand. Since her discovery that everything he said about himself was the absolute truth, it had been a daily struggle making sense of the supernatural insanity that was now her life. But one thing she would never believe was Lucifer’s opinion of himself, this supposedly horrible being who deserved to be punished and feared.

“Not to me,” she reminded him gently, unwilling to let the reference pass by even in jest. Lucifer blinked down at her, and she squeezed his hand. “All right then, mister _source-of-all-fear_ , come on over here and let’s take a picture before Trixie decides to leave without us.”

Lucifer rolled his eyes, but allowed himself to be dragged along to where Trixie was bouncing impatiently by the entrance, whipping around at every loud noise emerging from within. “Come on, come _on_ ,” she urged.

“All right, hold your horses, Trix,” Chloe called. “It’s not going anywhere.”

The next few moments were a blur of getting Trixie to hold still for the photo, roping Lucifer into taking it (“You’re the one with the longest arms!”) and then finally getting ready to go inside.

Chloe got down to her daughter’s level (not so far as she’d once had to go, she noticed with a rueful pang), holding her shoulders to ensure she had her full attention.

“Now, Trixie, I know you’re very excited. You don’t have to hold my hand, but I want you to promise me you’ll stay close to us, or we’re not going inside. Okay? There’s going to be a lot going on and I don’t want you getting lost, or stuck.”

Trixie nodded frantically - she would have agreed to anything in that moment, and Chloe supposed she’d have to be satisfied.

“All right, let’s go,” she said, and Trixie cheered loudly enough that Lucifer winced. She led the way inside, Chloe and Lucifer trailing behind.

Once they entered, it was instantly pitch black. Muffled bangs and scuffling sounds sounded in the depths. Chloe experienced a moment of instinctual panic, clutching at Lucifer’s elbow. “I can’t see a thing,” she hissed. “Trixie!” she called.

“Right here, Mom,” came Trixie’s voice, very close by, sounding less enthusiastic than before, but determined. Chloe relaxed, and Lucifer chafed her arm reassuringly.

“I can see just fine, darling, I’ll keep an eye on the spawn,” he said.

 _Oh, right._ Chloe looked up to where she guessed Lucifer’s face was. “Are _you_ okay?” she asked, much more quietly. If she’d been pressed to describe what Hell was like, it would have been something similar to this.

“Perfectly all right, thank you.” The slightly strained note in Lucifer’s politeness could just have been her imagination - she knew he never lied.

“Let’s get this over with, then,” she said instead, and Trixie led the way deeper into the dark.

A door slammed open to their right and a man jumped out, wearing all black so his lifelike rubber mask was emphasized by the sudden strobe light. Trixie screamed. Chloe jumped a foot in the air, reaching for her sidearm (which she was, of course, not wearing today). Trixie’s scream dissolved into giggles as they passed, and Chloe shook her head at her daughter’s fortitude, trying to will her heart rate back to normal.

Almost immediately, with a bloodcurdling moan from the soundtrack, strobe lights flashed over a gruesome painting of a clown face, the shadows making it seem alive and menacing. Chloe jumped again, swearing under her breath. She’d never reacted well to being startled, and if those were the only scares in store, her nerves would be a wreck by the end of this. Plus, she’d always hated clowns.

Trixie just ooh-ed and ahh-ed over the face and skipped a little as she continued ahead.

“Why’d it have to be jump scares?” Chloe complained to Lucifer. She was glad she couldn’t see his expression, sure he was laughing at her. Then unexpectedly, he reached down and gently took her hand without a word.

Chloe hesitated, accepting the gesture only because it was a good thing if it stopped her from going for her gun every time. They moved on.

Lucifer squeezed her hand a fraction tighter and hung on as another door banged open to their left this time, and horrible crunching and slobbering sounds emerged. Chloe, forewarned, didn’t startle as hard, and she realized what Lucifer was doing. He, of course, could hear well before the rest of them when something was going to happen.

She squeezed his hand in thanks and they kept walking.

“You know, it’s fascinating,” Lucifer said, his voice cutting through the moaning and thumping now being pumped through the corridor. “The way you humans have learned to prey upon your own sensory shortcomings, for _fun_.” He sounded almost scandalized.

“Afraid you’ll be out of a job?” Chloe teased, as a man wrapped in bloodied bandages lumbered into view and made a lunge at them. Trixie shrieked and clapped, nearly stumbling into Chloe, who reached out with her free hand to steady her.

“Hardly,” Lucifer scoffed. “There’s a world of difference between the play and true fear.” Chloe was hardly given an opportunity to recover from the implications of the matter-of-fact statement before he was back to his regular self. “Now, really,” he complained, as a dead body (a dummy, Chloe could tell at a glance, being more than familiar with the real thing) dropped on a noose ahead of them. “No effort given to detail at all.”

“That’s a good thing,” Chloe said sharply. She’d never been very happy with this aspect of the holiday, the inexplicable urge some revelers seemed to have to entertain themselves with the very real horrors she faced on a daily basis. “Don’t _touch_ it, Trix, come on,” she said, herding them past.

A spooky laugh floated out from the depths and warm air was blasted in their faces, oscillated as though to suggest wings. Chloe batted at her face and Lucifer caught her other hand.

“It’s just air, darling, nothing’s there.”

“I _know_ ,” Chloe snapped. “It just feels horrible.”

Lucifer chuckled, and Chloe fought the urge to fold her arms petulantly. “You and your superior senses,” she muttered, but she wasn’t complaining when he squeezed her hand again and something big and black swooped down on them. Lucifer had to duck because he was so tall.

“ _Please_ tell me this is almost over,” Chloe sighed, at the end of her rope, just as a deep, rhythmic chanting started up, accompanied by an irregular drumbeat. Chloe shivered, actually unnerved.

“I don’t like this, Mommy,” Trixie confessed, her voice almost swallowed by the sound.

“Is that…?” Lucifer sounded intrigued, but Chloe never found out what he meant, because the next instant Trixie shouted, “I see the door!” and was off like a shot, through some trailing cobwebby curtains.

“Trixie!” Chloe shouted. “Don’t get too far ahead!” She gave chase, letting go of Lucifer’s hand.

The chanting rose to a fever pitch as Chloe stumbled through the corridor, her footsteps echoing wildly off the metal siding. She found that Trixie was right - the exit was clearly visible, the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. She still couldn’t see anything, and could only hope that Trixie had managed to make it through and hadn’t fallen somewhere.

“Trixie!” she called again as she barrelled through the door, nearly running over the girl in question. “Oh!”

She caught her daughter by the shoulders to keep her from falling. “Trixie!” she gasped, forcing her voice to a lower register, not wanting to shout in her face. “What did I say about running off?”

“Sorry, Mommy,” Trixie said, chastened, and Chloe pulled her into a hug, until the adrenaline response subsided and she was able to think clearly again.

“I’m sorry too, baby,” she sighed, setting Trixie down again and stroking her hair. “You did really well; you were very brave.” She knew Trixie had been wanting to prove herself by doing the haunted house this year, and whatever her thoughts on the matter, she didn’t want to deny her daughter the opportunity. “Mommy was a little scared, though,” she admitted.

Trixie’s eyes were round as saucers. “You were?”

“Mhm.” Chloe nodded, like she was imparting a great secret. “Lucifer had to hold my hand.”

Trixie laughed, clapping a hand over her mouth as though to hold in her mirth, and Chloe smiled. She hoped she could impart to her little monkey that she didn’t have to prove anything, that it was okay to be scared sometimes.

Trixie’s eyebrows drew down in confusion. “Where is Lucifer?” she asked.

Chloe frowned, looking around. Indeed, Lucifer was nowhere to be found.

“That’s odd,” she said. “He was right behind me.” She waited a few more seconds, but Lucifer still had yet to appear.

“What, did he go back to give the actors pointers or something?” Chloe groused, and Trixie giggled again, more uncertainly this time. They walked back up to the exit.

“Lucifer, come on, we’re waiting,” Chloe called. There was an attendant stationed at the door who blocked their way.

“You’re not allowed back in,” he said.

Chloe looked at him. “I know,” she said, annoyed. “We’re missing the third member of our party. He still hasn’t come out yet.”

The attendant gave her a suspicious look. “You came to the fair with a dude named Lucifer?”

Chloe shrugged. “That’s his name.”

The youth still seemed unconvinced. “Right. Well, the only way out is through. They won’t let him back through the front entrance.” He sucked on his teeth, his lack of concern grating on Chloe’s nerves.

“Lucifer!” she yelled again, for lack of any better option. She knew he would hear her, no matter how far back he was. The boy eyed her sidelong. Chloe sighed.

“Look, how long are we supposed to wait out here?” she asked. “Can’t you send someone in after him?”

The attendant put his hands on his hips. “One of the actors’ll send him out. We’re not allowed to send anyone else through until everyone’s out.”

But Chloe had no intention of waiting. “This is ridiculous. He was right behind me. Lucifer!” she shouted, more sharply this time. “You come out here right now!” She’d never known him to ignore a direct order before. She couldn’t have him terrorizing the actors. It wasn’t like him to just leave her hanging like this.

But as the time stretched and nothing happened, Chloe began to get a bad feeling. She pulled out her phone and dialed Lucifer’s number, keeping a firm grip on Trixie, who watched wide-eyed.

“ _The number you have dialed is not in service. Please hang up…”_

Chloe stared at her phone in disbelief. It hadn’t even gone to voice mail. Something was seriously weird.

“Hey.” She addressed the attendant again. “Shouldn’t the next group have come through by now?”

He made a casual gesture, supremely unruffled. “Dunno. Not my problem.”

Chloe was out of patience. Her nerves were too shot to wait for this to run its course. Her gut was telling her to act.

“ _Ignore them,_ ” she heard Lucifer in the back of her mind. “ _Trust your instincts._ ”

Setting her jaw, she pulled out her police badge, flashing it in the young man’s face.

“All right, that’s it, LAPD,” she said. The attendant’s eyes widened. “Shut it down, right now. Or I’m coming with backup and I’ll make sure you _stay_ shut down.”

The boy ran off, presumably to get his manager, and Trixie squeezed Chloe’s hand.

“What’s going on, Mommy?” She sounded frightened. Chloe bent down and stroked her hair.

“I’m not sure yet, monkey. But I’m going to find out. I’m gonna call your dad, okay? You can go home with him.”

“But I wanna stay here!” Trixie protested.

Chloe shook her head. “No, you don’t, it’s gonna be really boring. I’ll bring Lucifer to see you as soon as I find him, okay?” Without giving Trixie a chance to respond, Chloe dialed Dan, who agreed to come pick her up.

In the meantime, the park manager had arrived, a bearded, rough and ready man who made it very clear he didn’t appreciate taking orders from police, much less a “lady police.” Chloe was unmoved, and stared him down until he sighed and gave the order.

“Thank you,” she said curtly.

Trixie didn’t speak again until Dan was walking across the park toward them.

“Is this my fault?” she asked in a small voice. “I wanted to come here.”

“No, Trixie, no,” Chloe exclaimed, wrapping her in a hug. “Of course not. We don’t even know what happened yet, nothing is your fault. Ever. Okay? I’m sure Lucifer just got stuck somewhere. I’ll call you as soon as we get him. Just go with your dad for now so I can sort it all out.” She forced a smile and kissed her daughter on the forehead, rising to give a helpless shrug in response to Dan’s questioning look.

“Thanks for coming so quickly,” she said instead. “I really appreciate it.”

“No problem, Chlo,” Dan said, wrapping an arm around Trixie, who clung to his leg. “Keep me in the loop, yeah?”

“Of course.” Chloe nodded. “I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about.” She turned away, biting the inside of her cheek. She’d been saying that a lot for someone who wasn’t sure of any such thing. Lucifer was the Devil. If he wanted to, he could have ripped his way out of that house like it was tissue paper. So what was keeping him?

“All right, you can go in now, ma’am.” The manager was back, spitting the epithet like it was poison, but Chloe couldn’t have cared less about his resentment. She strode back inside without answering.

The interior was almost more spooky with all the darkness and mystique removed. The harsh light revealed odd angles and deceptive shadows, everything seeming like it was just inches from moving. Chloe gripped her phone, dialing Lucifer’s number and straining her ears to hear an answering ring, the clunky heels of her boots echoing wildly. She wished she had her Glock.

“Lucifer?” she called, her voice bouncing back at her from countless reflective surfaces. She kept jumping, catching glimpses of herself. “ _Lucifer!_ ”

There was no answer.

She searched the place from beginning to end, using a penlight to peer into every nook and cranny, braving the bizarre decor and stranger smells. The actors had all vanished, likely taking full advantage of the unexpected break, and more importantly, there wasn’t a single sign of Lucifer. It was like he’d never existed, and Chloe couldn’t figure out why.

“Lucifer?” she said again, hating the way her voice quivered. “Lucifer, come on, this isn’t funny. If you’re in here, just come out. Please.”

But she’d never known him to take a prank this far. Nor to ignore the word ‘please.’ He would never be this intentionally cruel, especially when Trixie was involved. Chloe pondered. She didn’t want to place too much importance on the strange chanting they’d heard but there had definitely been something off about it. Even Lucifer had sounded interested.

She paced back slowly toward the exit, passing the creepy clown mask and the wind machines. The black crepe streamers hung limp and innocent, too thin to hide anything. In the last room before the door, there was a design in red paint on the floor. It looked like every cliche satanic design she’d seen in the movies. There were even some symbols she thought she recognized from their visit to the satanists in the first year of their partnership.

Chloe stared at it. “You have _got_ to be kidding me,” she said under her breath.

She bent down to sniff the lines - it smelled like normal paint. And dust. Chloe sneezed.

With a muttered curse, before she could second guess herself, Chloe opened her camera and started taking pictures of every angle of the design and the room. It seemed like absolute nonsense to think that the pentagram or the chanting could have anything to do with Lucifer’s disappearance from a _carnival funhouse_. But it was the only thing she could think of to do. She was rapidly running out of options. She already lived in a world where Heaven and Hell existed and the Devil was her partner. She couldn’t really afford to rule anything out.

After she finished taking pictures from every angle she could think of, she went to go speak to the manager. It hadn’t escaped her notice that he hadn’t offered her any additional aid apart from shutting down the ride.

“Can I have my attraction back now, ma’am?” he drawled, stubbing out his cigarette.

“Not yet,” Chloe said shortly. “My partner is still missing, and I’d like to ask you a few questions, Mr. Philipson.”

She took him to the back room and showed him the sigil painted in red on the floor. “Do you know who painted this?” she asked. Philipson looked askance at her, but not for the reason she was expecting.

“None of my staff,” he said with certainty. “We don’t go in for any of that devil-worshipping malarky.”

“...Right,” Chloe said, thinking of the hanged man prominently featured in a previous room. It struck her as an odd line to draw. “So this isn’t part of the attraction.”

“Of course not,” he said, crossing his arms and staying well away from the lines. “Why bother with something no one’s gonna even see?”

Chloe had to admit there was some truth to that. “So you’re saying this isn’t supposed to be here.”

“Certainly not!” Philipson exclaimed. Chloe pounced.

“So what you’re saying is that someone managed to vandalize your property without your knowledge. And now someone’s gone missing.” She fought to conceal her growing unease. Concern crossed Philipson’s face for the first time.

“Mr. Philipson, I’m going to need you to remain shut down for the time being, until we can get to the bottom of this. So long as you can’t guarantee that no one else is going to go missing you could be held personally accountable.”

Philipson grimaced, but was no doubt seeing visions of liability lawsuits dancing in his head and nodded reluctantly.

“Fine. I’ll go along - for now.” He pointed accusingly. “But I’ll be back up and running tomorrow unless you come back with some kind of warrant.”

Chloe nodded. It was more than fair, especially with with what she suspected was actually going on. There was no way she would be able to prove it. A day was the best she could hope for.

“All right. Thank you, Mr. Philipson.”

She drove home alone, in stark contrast to the start of their fun-filled afternoon. Lucifer’s absence ached, like a bruise, or a missing tooth. She was reluctant to leave the place he’d last been, feeling like she was leaving him behind. She blinked back her tears and kept driving. She needed her computer.

 _I’ll find you, Lucifer,_ she vowed silently. _I promise._

In her silent house, she poured herself a large glass of wine and threw herself into research. It wasn’t until her second glass that she found the connection. There had been a surge of missing persons reports - three in the past three weeks - since the carnival had opened. The fair had been investigated, but not the funhouse itself, which explained why Philipson had been so eager to cooperate.

 _Dammit._ Chloe swore vehemently. For some reason, no one had bothered to investigate the haunted house, so the connection with the fair hadn’t been found. She imagined someone had paid massive amounts of hush money to keep it out of the press. She fisted her hands in her hair. If only she’d known...

But she hadn’t, and there was no point in wasting time thinking about that now. Instead, she called Maze. The pentagram was her biggest lead at this point, and the demon was her best option. As she started to upload the pictures she’d taken to her computer, she came across the picture they’d taken before any of this mess had started. Trixie’s eyes were nearly bugging out in her excitement, and Chloe’s smile had a bit of a wicked glint, having just browbeaten Lucifer into taking the photo. Lucifer wasn’t even looking at the camera, he was looking at her, and the long-suffering affection in his expression twisted like a knife in her gut. She ran her fingers over his face on the screen. Mere hours ago, she’d been holding his hand.

“Lucifer…” she whispered. “Where are you?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The descent.

“It looks like a soul trap.” Maze’s voice was matter of fact.

Chloe focussed her attention on the demon, trying to shake off the caffeine haze brought on by lack of sleep. “A what?” she asked.

“Well, I’m sure you’re aware of summoning circles, right?” Linda had arrived with Maze and spoke with confidence. “The basic idea, at least, like in the movies? A soul trap works on the same principle, only from a subject already present.”

Chloe blinked. “That’s a real thing?” she asked, stupidly.

“If you know what you’re doing,” Linda said. “Which most people don’t. Whoever did this, on the other hand…”

“Since when can you tell the difference?” Chloe asked, exhaustion and confusion making her blunt.

“I’ve been studying witchcraft for the past little while,” Linda admitted. “Ever since…” she trailed away and looked sidelong at Maze. But Chloe had too much on her mind to wonder why dating a demon would lead someone to study witchcraft. She returned to the matter at hand. It didn’t matter how Linda knew, what mattered was that she did.

“So you’re saying a witch… did this?” she asked. Linda nodded slowly.

“A very powerful one, if they were able to cast a spell strong enough to affect Lucifer.”

“So this… soul trap, it steals a person’s soul?” Chloe demanded. That sounded horrible.

“Well, that depends,” Linda said, holding up a hand to forestall Chloe’s outburst as she squinted at the symbols in the picture. She frowned.

“I don’t think this was something targeted at Lucifer,” Linda said at last.

Maze nodded agreement. “It couldn’t be.”

Chloe’s gaze sharpened. “Why not?” She hated feeling like the odd one out.

“Because soul traps are designed for human souls,” Maze explained. “Demons don’t have souls, and angels…” She shrugged. “Well, angels are different.”

“So what happened to Lucifer?” Chloe asked, feeling too scattered to put the pieces together. Clearly _something_ had happened, and that didn’t bode well if it had been an unintended effect.

“Based on what you’ve told us, it seems like the haunted house was being used by a witch to steal souls,” Linda replied, her voice calm and steady. “Only Lucifer doesn’t have a soul to steal.”

“The spell probably backfired,” Maze said. “If I had to guess… it banished him instead.”

“ _Banished_ him?” Chloe felt like her brain was on hold, unwilling to understand the words. “Banished him _where_?”

Maze glanced at Linda before answering. “Hell,” she said solemnly.

 

Chloe wasn’t sure what happened for a little while after that. When she came back to herself, she found that someone (probably Linda) had wrapped one of her blankets around her shoulders and that she and Maze were talking in low voices over the pictures, discussing the meanings of various symbols. Chloe clutched the blanket tighter around herself, frowning. There would be time to get mad at herself for spacing out later. Right now she had to figure out how to fix things.

“Why hasn’t he come back yet?” Chloe wanted to know. The other women both turned to look at her. “He left Hell in the first place, right? And he’s been back a couple times since then.” To save her life. Chloe never forgot.

Maze and Linda exchanged another look Chloe was quickly learning to hate. “He might not be able to,” Linda said gently.

“Why not? He has his wings now. That’s all he needs, right?”

Maze’s face was stoic. “When he went back to get the formula for your antidote, he ended up getting stuck in a Room.” Chloe could hear the capitalization in her voice. “He couldn’t leave because he was stuck in a hell loop. We had to send Mama Morningstar down to fetch him.”

Chloe balked. While she’d heard the bare bones of the story, reluctantly, from Lucifer, she’d had no idea just how harrowing the experience had been. Because why would she? Lucifer complained about everything and nothing like it was going out of style; the weather, the tabloids, and if anything happened to get on his clothes she might as well clear her schedule. On any sort of significant subject, however, which by anyone’s standards gave him full right to complain, he clammed up. Getting him to talk about anything serious was like pulling teeth, and Chloe hadn’t quite managed to assuage his deeply ingrained fear of rejection in order to change that.

“So send me,” she heard herself say faintly. Linda blinked, and Maze’s expression shifted to one of grudging respect.

“We can’t.” If she didn’t know better, she’d have said the demon sounded sympathetic, and that was almost as terrifying as the situation itself. The words, however, were unacceptable.

“Why not?” Chloe seemed to be saying that a lot, recently.

“Because without the benefit of angel wings, the only way to get to Hell is to die,” Maze said.

“Right.” Chloe was privy to that part of the story at least. “So do to me what you did then, stop my heart and then resuscitate me afterwards.” The words coming out of her mouth felt like madness. She thought of Trixie with a pang, but pushed it aside. If there was a chance to save Lucifer, she couldn’t face her daughter without having at least attempted it.

“There are any number of reasons that won’t work,” Linda said, not unkindly. “First and foremost the fact that your soul’s not destined for Hell, Chloe. You’ll end up in Heaven.”

“There’s no guarantee _you’ll_ go there either,” Maze interjected. Linda shut her mouth and glowered at the demon. Chloe sensed this was an established argument between them.

Regardless, it was a valid concern. It was far too much of a risk to take without the destination being absolutely certain. She moved on mentally. Angel wings, Maze had said.

Chloe shrugged off the blanket, walking into the corner of the room, away from Maze and Linda. She pressed her palms together in front of her the way she’d seen Lucifer do in the past.

 _Amenadiel_ , she thought with all her might. The angel hadn’t shown his face on Earth since his ascension to Heaven after the whole Cain debacle. Chloe was fully aware she was grasping at straws. But she was also no stranger to taking the best of bad options. _Amenadiel, please at least hear me out_. She figured politeness was the best approach. _You know as well as I do that Lucifer doesn’t belong in Hell. Especially not like this. We need your help. Your brother needs your help. Please._

She opened her eyes, turning around to see Linda and Maze both watching her silently. Chloe herself was afraid to speak, as though to break the silence would cancel her request.

The seconds stretched. Just as Chloe began to think he wouldn’t show, a deep voice sounded off to her side.

“Hello, Chloe.”

Chloe gasped, whirling to face him. “Amenadiel!” she exclaimed. “Lucifer, he’s-”

Amenadiel held up a forestalling hand. “I’m aware of the situation,” he said. “I gleaned the details from your mind while you were praying.”

It was a sign of how far Chloe had progressed into crisis mode that she felt nothing at this information except relief that the explanations could be skipped. “Thank you for coming,” she said instead, nonetheless sensing she’d have to butter the burly angel up for her request.

The faintest hint of a smile played about Amenadiel’s lips, like he was reacquainting himself with the expression. “Your daughter has also been most insistent,” he told her, and Chloe swallowed another, much larger pang of emotion. _Oh, Trixie._ If she hadn’t already been determined to do whatever was in her power to save Lucifer, that would have been the clincher. She cut to the chase.

“I want you to take me to Hell,” she said, voice firm. “I’m going to get him back.”

Amenadiel closed his eyes as though praying for strength. “Chloe… you wouldn’t last two seconds in Hell. You have no powers, you don’t belong… the demons would eat you alive. For a start.”

Lucifer hadn’t told her much about Hell, but she knew enough that Amenadiel likely wasn’t speaking figuratively. Chloe couldn’t help her eyes cutting over to Maze. She couldn’t envision her roommate eating anyone alive. She quickly looked back at Amenadiel. If the angel thought his dire warnings were going to deter her, he had another think coming.

“Take me down with her.” Maze’s voice was blunt. This time, everyone turned to look at the demon. She grinned tightly, uncomfortable. “No one will dare mess with her so long as I’m there.”

Linda opened her mouth, but Amenadiel beat her to it. “Have you forgotten you’re not exactly popular down there any more?” he asked, not unkindly. “You’ve been gone a long time, and no matter what Lucifer’s standing currently is, you’re no longer the favourite.”

“I betrayed him,” Maze admitted. “So what? I’m a demon, that’s what we do. I can handle anyone who wants to tear my throat out over it.”

Amenadiel folded his arms. “Except anyone who would be inclined to seek revenge against you on Lucifer’s behalf is someone we need on our side. We can’t afford to take them all out, Maze. And they won’t wait for you to explain. Cain’s been down there for ages now, they all know what you did.”

Maze let out a growl of frustration. “How do you know? All of that might happen, or none. I’m willing to risk it.”

“I’m not.” Amenadiel was implacable. “I can only take one of you at a time. If I took you first and returned to this plane, even for a moment, who knows how much time would have passed for you in Hell? Days? Months?”

“What does it matter?” Maze burst out. Linda stepped quietly to her side.

“It matters, Maze,” she said, and Maze subsided with a sigh. Her capitulation brought home to Chloe what exactly was at stake here far more than Amenadiel’s bleated cautions.

“Remind me why we’re not getting another one of your feathered siblings to help out?” Maze asked instead.

“Azrael had expressed a desire to assist. But it’s too dangerous. If the plan rests on getting Chloe to Lucifer, our only hope lies in secrecy. One angel at the gates is already pushing it. Two at the same time would strain the planes and bring the hordes of Hell - every single demon - down upon us. I could not possibly withstand so many, even with Death at my side. Our chance would be lost.”

“So it’s a solo mission.” Chloe spoke again, feeling time ticking away. She didn’t want to leave Lucifer in Hell a second longer than necessary. Amenadiel’s comment about time running at different speeds had made her hyper aware of how much had already passed on Earth since they’d discovered Lucifer’s disappearance. “That’s fine, that’s what I was planning on anyway. Can we please just get on with it?”

Amenadiel’s lips thinned as he looked at her, still planted as a statue, and Chloe wanted to rage and pummel him with her fists. She refrained, only because she knew it would hurt her more than him.

“I’m Lucifer’s… y’know.” She waved a hand vaguely. There were words for what they were, but they rarely used them. She didn’t think demons had a notion of partnership. “Wouldn’t that help?”

“It might.” Amenadiel remained impassive. “Or it might make you a target. Lucifer’s been absent from Hell for ages now. There’s no way to tell how he’s regarded, or what’s been going on.”

“ _I. Don’t. Care._ ” Chloe barked out each word, at her wit’s end. Why were they still standing around discussing Hell’s politics? Lucifer needed her. It was that simple. “I’m getting Lucifer out of Hell. It doesn’t matter what you say - I am not going to let you convince me to abandon him. So are you going to help me or not?”

Amenadiel looked at her for a long time. “Luci’s never going to forgive me for taking you.”

Chloe held out her hand. “How about I make sure he gets the opportunity?”

There was another pregnant pause, and then Amenadiel took it. Chloe half expected to be whisked away immediately but the angel just shook her hand with great ceremony.

“This is a terrible idea,” he said with a sigh, but it was a capitulation, and that was all that mattered to Chloe.

“It’s also the best one we have,” she said, unrepentant.

Since it appeared their departure wasn’t going to be imminent, Chloe turned aside. “I… I should call Trixie,” she said, holding up her phone. She’d never forgive herself if she left without saying goodbye.

 _“Did you find Lucifer?”_ Trixie demanded as soon as she picked up.

“Not yet. But I’m going to get him right now, okay?”

_“Is Amenadiel there? I’ve been praying and praying…”_

Chloe swallowed the lump in her throat. “Yeah he is, baby. You helped a lot. You did so well. I have to go now, but I’ll be back before you know it. _With_ Lucifer.” She resolutely tamped down on the thought that this might be the last conversation she had with her daughter. Had it been in person, she might have attempted to explain where she was going, what was at stake. But that wasn’t a conversation to be had over the phone, so she settled for: “I love you, Trixie-babe. So much.”

 _“I love you too, Mommy_.” Chloe’s grip tightened on her phone.

“Could you put your dad on now, please?”

 _“Hey, Chlo, what’s the word_?” Chloe allowed herself to be bolstered by Dan’s stalwart tone.

“I’ve got a lead on Lucifer’s whereabouts; I’m heading there now,” she said. “I’m not going to tell you more than that so you can have plausible deniability for Trixie.”

“ _So it’s that bad, huh?”_ Dan’s voice was quiet - from the change in background noise, Chloe thought he’d moved to another room. She bit the inside of her cheek, hating to leave them like this.

“Linda and Maze have all the details. If I’m not back within 48 hours, you can get in touch with them.” Catching the look on Maze’s face, she wondered if her two day time limit had in fact been overly generous.

 _“Chloe…_ ” They were both cops. They knew what _if I’m not back within_ statements meant. From his tone, she figured Dan was starting to put the pieces together by now. Trixie probably was, too. She’d already been praying. She was a smart kid. There was probably no point in keeping it from them, but she selfishly wanted to keep their last conversation as light as possible.

“He’d do the same for me. For any of us,” Chloe said instead. Lucifer _had_ done so, on multiple occasions. A sigh rustled down the line. Dan knew it, better than most.

“ _Please be careful, Chloe,_ ” was all he said.

“I always am,” she said. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to imagine the scene: Trixie in her PJs, playing in front of the TV. Maybe drawing a picture of Lucifer. Dan in his familiar Henley, making them chocolate sundaes for movie night. Her heart ached to think of leaving them. But the picture would never again be complete without Lucifer. “I’ll see you soon, Dan.”

 _“You’d better_ ,” Dan said, before signing off.

Chloe nodded to herself, packing her feelings into a box in her mind and sealing it tight where it couldn’t distract her.

“If we’re going, we’d best go now,” Amenadiel said, seeing her finish her conversation. Chloe turned to face him.

“I’m ready.”

“Wait.” Maze stepped forward, drawing out one of her curved demon blades, twirling it in her fingers to offer it to Chloe, hilt-first. “Don’t hesitate. Strike fast, and true.”

Chloe took the blade. It was heavier than she expected, and cold to the touch. “Thanks, Maze,” she said sincerely, accepting the gesture for what it was - the closest to sentiment Maze would ever get. Maze just nodded, eyes hard.

Linda’s farewell was much warmer. “Take care of yourself, Chloe,” she said, wrapping her in a hug. “Bring Lucifer back to us safely.”

“I promise,” Chloe murmured. Promises cost her nothing, at this point, and it was far better to be positive. Linda nodded and stepped back.

Maze’s gift of her knife had given Chloe an idea. Sticking the blade in her belt, she pulled out the feather Lucifer had given her for emergencies. It was warm in her hand, a little piece of Lucifer, a way to keep him close even though he was so far away. Pulling her bullet pendant out of her shirt, she stuck the feather through the eyelet of the necklace like a talisman. Three sets of eyes watched her with varying levels of approval.

“Let’s go.” Chloe was proud of how steady her voice was. Amenadiel’s face was stoic as he stepped forward to pick her up. She smiled over his shoulder at her friends, putting on a brave face.

“Hold onto me tightly,” Amenadiel instructed in a low voice. “And do not let go, no matter what happens.” Chloe did as she was told. Two massive, jet-black wings sprouted from Amenadiel’s shoulders. Chloe closed her eyes.

_Hang in there, Lucifer. I’m coming._

There was a sensation like she was being squeezed through the narrow end of a tube. Then, nothing.

*

Chloe opened her eyes to blackness. The only thing reassuring her that she hadn’t gotten thrown off somewhere and lost in the void was Amenadiel’s imposing presence. She knew they’d come to rest on solid ground when Amenadiel sighed in a big gust.

“Chloe?” he asked, his voice a deep rumble in his chest. Chloe started, hearing odd harmonics she’d never noticed before. “Are you all right?”

Her brain was still functioning, and so far as she could tell she wasn’t actively dying, so Chloe nodded an affirmative. Amenadiel released her. Chloe clung to his neck for a bit longer, not wanting to release her last tie to the rational world. It felt like the very air was shifting around her uneasily, probing her like a loose tooth. _Leave this place. You don’t belong._

Noting her hesitation, Amenadiel placed a hand on her shoulder. “It’s not too late to change your mind, Chloe,” he said. “No one expects this much of you, least of all Lucifer himself.”

Chloe made a face where Amenadiel couldn’t see. It was true - Lucifer would probably be the first in line to talk her out of this insane plan. But that was exactly why. She’d come this far. There was no way she could live with herself if she turned back now. She shook her head, stepping back from Amenadiel, who accepted her decision without comment.

“A living soul, crossing the plane,” he said. “Such a thing is unprecedented, in all of recorded history.” He levelled a serious look at her. “This is as far as I can go,” he informed her. “Were I to enter, every demon would instantly hone in on my location. My presence is known here. I was not… popular.” His mouth twisted. “Ironically, you’ll be safer in there without me.”

Chloe swallowed. She’d expected this, but it was something else to have it laid on her at the actual gates of Hell. “Any advice?” she asked. Her attempt to keep her voice light faded in the flat air. It occurred to her that the time to have asked this would have been topside, with the demon in attendance.

“Open no door except for Lucifer’s,” Amenadiel answered. “You bear his feather. It will show you the way.” As soon as he mentioned it, Chloe became aware of a subtle tug inside her chest, like the feather was on one end of a very long string. Her heart thudded as she realized belatedly that she’d come all the way to Hell without an actual plan to find Lucifer once there. _Dammit, Decker,_ look _before you leap._ She was usually more cautious than this. She needed to throw her brain into gear again before she got herself killed.

“What Maze said was true. Strike fast, and true, and do not look back. The slightest sign of hesitation, or fear, and the demons will strike.”

 _And you let Lucifer live down here, for millennia_. Chloe bit her tongue on her retort, her own safety the furthest thing from her mind. She didn’t want to waste her potential last words sniping at an angel. “Thanks, Amenadiel,” she said instead. He’d come through for Lucifer when it counted. There was something to be said for that.

Her thoughts must have showed on her face, for Amenadiel shook his head and demurred. “It’s you who deserves thanks, Chloe. You are very brave, to go to such lengths for my brother. He is fortunate to have you.” Chloe attempted a smile. Amenadiel stepped back. “I pray you will both return in one piece.”

Chloe knew that if she didn’t start now, she never would. Throwing Amenadiel an offhanded salute, she set her jaw, gripped Maze’s knife tighter, and strode into the maw of Hell.

* * *

 

As Chloe advanced, one thing soon became abundantly clear; Lucifer hadn’t been kidding when he’d said the funhouse was nothing like Hell.

Hell did not suffer her presence gladly, and the feeling only intensified the further she went. Lucifer often used the phrase ‘hot as Hell’ unironically, but Chloe hardly noticed the temperature. The air was just so _close_ , immense pressure coming from all sides like a living thing. Chloe had lived in LA all her life; she’d never experienced the kind of humidity that made her want to rip her skin off just for a chance of relief.

The sound was worse, or rather, the lack of it. Chloe had thought she’d have to endure the screams of the damned, but instead there was just oppressive silence, like she’d walked into a soundproof room. It pressed in on her like everything else, within and without, and Chloe had the sudden, insane urge to scream, just to see if she still could. She bit her tongue against the impulse and kept walking.

The Gates of Hell weren’t, in fact, actual gates, so much as a long passage of jagged rock that opened at last onto a maze of twisting cobbled paths. Spires of geometric stone towered to unguessable heights above her. Large, heavy-looking doors of tarnished metal featured prominently, set at random intervals; some at improbable angles or heights with no visible means of reaching them, some side by side, some crisscrossed with thick, tangled chains. Chloe tried and failed not to connect the amount of chains securing a door with what Lucifer had told her about psychopaths and those who felt no guilt for their bad deeds on Earth. Occasionally one would bulge outward and then settle again, like the air pressure was causing it to buckle. Chloe startled a little, every time, heart in her throat, and wondered if it counted as “showing fear.”

Lucifer had always hated doors.

Chloe was on constant alert for any sign of a threat, but Hell played on all her senses. She had to contend with surfaces becoming reflective when they hadn’t appeared so from a distance, constantly catching herself out of the corner of her eye. Space itself seemed to warp at times, objects distorting and twisting seemingly on a whim. She couldn’t trust her eyes, or her ears. She had yet to experience anything that would suggest sound existed in Hell. She heard nothing except the rushing of her own blood in her ears. Above all, the sense of _wrongness_ persisted, like the scraping of nails on a blackboard, if the blackboard was her spine.

Chloe clutched her bullet necklace so tightly it left lines on her palm, careful not to crush the feather, and thought of Lucifer. The feather’s warmth became her lifeline, directing her left and right at every junction as she felt a corresponding tug in her chest. Chloe gritted her teeth and continued on. There was no turning back now; the only way out was through. _One foot in front of the other._ She could do that much.

For the sake of her sanity, Chloe started making a list in her head of the ways Hell differed from her expectations. _Blue, not red. No fire and brimstone. No background noise. No demons._

She’d hardly thought that last when what she’d thought was a shadow stepped away from the wall, coalescing into a humanoid shape. Chloe went into a defensive stance instinctively, holding the knife in front of her.

The demon prowled lazily toward her. The gait was reminiscent of Maze, but that was where the similiarities ended. This demon had lilac skin and curling ram’s horns framing a face with far too many sharp lines to ever be mistaken for human, if the long, whiplike tail hadn’t taken care of that already. All this, including the fact that the demon’s hair appeared to consist of purple fire, paled in comparison to the demon’s choice of attire, which seemed to be the answer to the question _how little fabric can be used to have it still technically be considered “clothing”?_ Very full, very pert breasts were on full display, a metal cap over each nipple leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination. Her nethers were covered, if one could call it that, by merely a wide strip of embroidered fabric, slung low over her hips and crossing in front of her legs. Chloe couldn’t tell if the layered, scaly material covering her legs was supposed to resemble pants or if it was part of the demon’s hide.

Even Maze’s most outlandish outfits didn’t come close to the lack of modesty in evidence here, and Chloe was suddenly struck by the inane thought that if this was what Lucifer was used to seeing, the hordes of scantily clad humans that packed his club must seem downright prudish in comparison.

“Ahh…” Even the demon’s utterances were obscene, sounding like they’d tumbled straight from a porn flick. “So _this_ is the human.” An inquisitive tilt of the head put her so much in mind of Lucifer that Chloe nearly let out a sob. Honestly, she was just relieved to find she could still hear anything at all, even if the words reverberated strangely in the air. “You bear his mark.” Chloe assumed she meant the feather, and resolved to protect it at all costs. It was her only ticket out of here.

The demon began to walk slowly around her in a circle, keeping exactly the same amount of distance between them. Chloe recognized the predatory behaviour and shifted so that her back was to a wall. The demon stopped what she was doing and laughed, low and syrupy-sweet.

“Such a clever thing you are, to have come this far,” she teased. “I mean no offense. It’s simply… _intoxicating_ to be in the presence of one so touched by our lord.” She licked her full, dark lips, running her hands over her body unabashedly. Chloe just stared, caught between disgust and fascination. _Show no fear_.

“What brings you here, little dove?” the demon purred. Chloe pressed her lips together. If the demons didn’t know that Lucifer was trapped here, she certainly wasn’t about to broadcast the information. “You’re so very far from home.”

Chloe’s mind was racing. What would convince this demon to let her pass? Was she loyal to Lucifer, or against him? Could she afford to take the time to find out? _Strike fast, and true. Do not hesitate._

“Rumour has it, you’re the one keeping my lord topside,” the demon was saying. She grinned, showing rows of small, sharp teeth. “Our new guest of honour has been so _descriptive_.”

 _Pierce_. Chloe fought to conceal her shudder, feeling sick.

“Imagine my surprise when I find the talk of the Labyrinth here before me, so deliciously vulnerable…” The demon was practically salivating.

“If you kill me,” Chloe spoke up, willing her voice to steadiness, “Lucifer will destroy you.”

The demon made a hissing sound, licking her lips. “You dare speak his name.” Chloe couldn’t decide whether she sounded offended or impressed. “Fear not, little dove. I’m not going to kill you. What fun would that be?”

Chloe had to admit that was true - if the demon had intended to kill her, she’d be dead already. The thought brought her no comfort, and she didn’t like the demon’s tone at all.

“So here I am,” the demon purred. “A knight of the second seal, with the King’s mortal consort within my grasp. Legions shall bow before me…”

Chloe struck, her boots kicking off the ground as she lunged to bury Maze’s blade to the hilt in the demon’s heart. The demon gave a surprised gurgle, eyes widening as she fell.

“So… the dove has claws,” she whispered, coughing up blood. “You’d make… an excellent Queen.” She died wearing a smile that almost seemed satisfied.

Chloe took a moment, breathing heavily. She hadn’t hesitated, hadn’t faltered. The demon had been talking about using her as leverage in Hell’s power struggles and she couldn’t allow that. She had a job to do.

The incident still left her shaken. She was far more used to dealing with threats at a distance, down the barrel of a gun. She looked down at the blood on her hands, her first, ridiculous thought being that she hoped Lucifer wouldn’t mind. She wiped the blade off as best she could on the small amount of fabric the demon had been wearing, set her shoulders, and walked on.

The encounter with the demon made Chloe even more jumpy than before, and she wondered how much further she’d have to go. How long had it been? How long had it been on Earth? She had sudden visions of her mortal body aging years as she searched, returning as an old lady for only seconds to have passed on the surface. She wished she could have explained better to Trixie. Mostly she just wanted to find Lucifer soon. How long had it been for him? Would he even remember her?

Her thoughts were broken by a bone-chilling howl, sounding like every hunter’s fear of a wolf in the dark. Chloe gripped the knife and spun, heart pounding, trying to determine where the sound was coming from. Not that it would do her much good. A demon was bad enough - she could hardly take on a hellhound.

Several things happened in quick succession. As she whirled to look behind her, a massive black shape came hurtling out of the shadows, leaping straight for her. Chloe barely had time to raise her knife before the dog’s leap carried it into another demon who had been sneaking up on her. It was all over in the blink of an eye and Chloe jumped back belatedly, trying to catch up with what had just happened.

The hellhound, a creature made of shadow and flame that stood as high as her shoulder, was making quick work of the demon, tearing out its throat in a spray of black blood. Chloe gulped and backed slowly away, knowing her only slim chance of escape rested in the hound being too distracted by its kill to give chase.

No such luck: its head snapped up immediately and Chloe froze. It advanced toward her, and Chloe held up her knife, knowing it would be little use against such a massive beast.

After several slow steps, the hellhound stopped. Chloe watched, not daring even to breathe. Then it sank down to its knees and rolled over, exposing its shadowy underbelly. It let out a definite _whine_.

Chloe blinked. She was hardly an expert, but she knew submissive behaviour when she saw it. This hellhound, as incredible as it seemed, was telegraphing its intent to do her no harm on all frequencies.

Chloe crept closer, heart in her throat. It could all be a trick - were demon dogs as deceptive as demons? - but she weighed the risks and would rather engage with the massive animal who was at least trying to communicate its intentions rather than leaving an unassessed threat at her back. The hellhound remained on its back, crossing its front paws and whimpering quietly.

With great trepidation, Chloe held out a tentative hand for the hound to sniff. It did so almost delicately, its glowing red eyes hooded in the shadowy mass of its head. It didn’t bite her hand off, which Chloe counted a massive victory. The hound rolled onto its side, gave a happy sounding yip, and began to enthusiastically lick the blood from her hands, panting and wagging its tail.

Chloe fell on her ass in the ash, giddy relief sweeping through her veins. _Of course_ , she thought numbly. _Of course. I smell like Lucifer._

“Thank you for saving me,” she whispered. “You’re a good boy.” She was too far gone to filter the words coming out of her mouth, but her saviour seemed to appreciate it, wagging his tail harder and nudging her with his nose. He rose, towering over her, and walked a few paces in the direction she’d been going before turning to look back over his shoulder. _Are you coming_?

A different kind of relief crashed over her then, as she realized the hellhound meant to accompany her, giving her protection. She wasn’t alone any more.

Chloe would have wept, but if she did she knew she would never stop and she didn’t have the time. Instead, she rose, dusted herself off, and joined her new best friend.

Chloe noticed a distinct difference this time. Now there were demons lining the path. Some of them took one look and ran off, others sank into bows or curtsies or other forms of obeisance.

“ _My lady_ ,” they whispered with sibilant voices. Chloe tried not to think too hard about what that meant. One demon had a face that was entirely made of teeth - _human_ teeth, which begged the question of where he’d gotten them. Chloe kept her head up, faced straight ahead, and wondered how much more she could take. The hellhound nudged her hand with his head, a gesture that looked ridiculous on such a large creature, and Chloe found herself twining her hands in perfectly ordinary fur as they walked.

At long last, an ordinary tower with an ordinary door rose before them, and Chloe knew instinctively, even without the tug of the feather, that this was the one. She let out a sigh of gratitude, turning to thank her protector when suddenly he let out a growling bark, checking her bodily out of the way as two shapes descended upon them.

Chloe rolled into a defensive crouch, favouring her bruised side as she observed the fight. They were at the door, but it didn’t seem right to just abandon her hellhound after what he’d done for her.

Unfortunately, it also didn’t seem like there was much she could do to help. The fight moved too fast for her to follow, accompanied by much snapping and yowling as she tried desperately to determine how her hound was faring.

The fight was over as abruptly as it had begun, leaving her hound as the only one standing. Her relief was short lived, however, as he limped toward her over the bodies of his assailants to collapse at her feet.

Chloe let out a moan. “No, no, no.” This creature was her only friend in this dark place. Any sign of weakness was a death sentence, and he had injured himself on her behalf. “Show me where you’re hurt.” The hound moved his head weakly. A wound on his neck was bleeding fiery blood. “Okay,” Chloe repeated, trying to stay calm and think of a plan. “Okay. Come with me. Lucifer’ll know what to do. He’ll be able to help you.”

The hellhound whined regretfully, turning its head aside. Chloe wondered if hounds weren’t allowed in the cells. She didn’t have the time to figure it out.

Struck by a sudden idea, she crouched down, stroking the beast’s heaving side soothingly. “Hey, listen,” she said, taking the feather from her necklace. The hellhound’s ears perked up slightly. “I don’t need this any more. I’ve found the door. Will this help you?” Lucifer had told her the feather had healing properties but she didn’t know what it would do to a hell creature.

When the hound didn’t immediately recoil from the divinity, she figured it was worth a shot. She pressed the feather into the wound without further delay. It was absorbed, and the wound sealed itself with a flash of fire. Her hound rolled to his feet and pranced for joy, licking her enthusiastically, tail going mad. Chloe caught sight of the eyes, which had changed from hellish red to glowing white.

“You good boy,” Chloe murmured, overcome. _Literally_. She bit back a hysterical laugh and buried her face in his fur. She didn’t want to leave her new friend. “I’ll miss you.” The hound just gave a happy bark and nudged her towards the door.

Chloe nodded, wiping her eyes. _Lucifer._ The door beckoned. There were no chains across it; it was as unremarkable as any other door she’d passed in her journey, except for the siren call drawing her in. _Lucifer._

Heart in her throat, Chloe pushed open the door.

Immediately her eyes were assaulted by a painfully bright light. She threw up her arms to cover her face, wondering if she was going blind. Staggering forward, she nearly tripped over something. Her senses were screaming. _HotdrybrightPAIN_. It was more along the lines of what she’d initially thought Hell would be like. Squinting her eyes open bit by bit, she took in the scene before her.

At first all she could make out were vague outlines, bright splashes of colour - blue and green and brown. Agonizingly slowly, details began to come into focus. They were in the desert. With a shock, Chloe recognized the site of the crime scene Lucifer had dragged her to. The site of his kidnapping. Chloe dropped her arms and just _stared_.

She’d found Lucifer, but for the first time her mission was the furthest thing from her mind.

His back was to her, his wings (newly minted, Chloe realized) on full display. Back on Earth, his wings were at least somewhat of a familiar sight nowadays, but here they were sharper, _more_. They gleamed like someone had left a mirror out in the sun and were difficult to look at for very long. She made an involuntary sound.

Lucifer turned to face her, and Chloe gasped, unable to move forward despite the shape he was in, fixed to the spot by the power of his gaze. It was grief, and anger, and betrayal, and Chloe had never been on the receiving end of anything quite like it.

Lucifer looked… like shit. His hair was wind-tangled and coated with dust. He was without a shirt or shoes, and his ragged pants were barely clinging to his hips. His exposed skin was burnt to a crisp, such that if Chloe didn’t know any better she’d say she was looking at his Devil form. Even his eyelashes were encrusted with sand, and his lips were chapped and bloody.

Chloe twined her hands together, shame rushing over her in a wave. When he’d come into the precinct, only two days after this, he’d been impeccable as always, not a hair out of place. He’d been like this, out in the desert, had managed to drag his way back to her and she’d barely given him the time of day. She would have teared up if the arid atmosphere had allowed it.

Like drawing back a curtain, suddenly Lucifer’s face changed; he spread his arms (and wings) as if to embrace her.

“Detective!” Lucifer said jovially, grinning wide like they were at Lux on any normal day. “Welcome to the party!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *shows up 4 days late with Starbucks* Terribly sorry for the late chapter, all, this one sort of got away from me. I hope it being double the length of the previous chapter makes up for it!! I'm hoping life won't get in the way this time and the next chapter won't take nearly as long.


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